MOREHEAD, Ky. - SIUE softball opened the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference regular season on a high note Saturday with a 9-5 road victory over Morehead State.

The two teams will play a Sunday doubleheader to decide the three-game series. Game time for game one is 11 a.m. CT.

SIUE improved to 8-9 overall while Morehead State fell to 1-19 in what was both teams' OVC opener.

Morehead State jumped out to an early lead with four runs in the first innings. Kiana Villa would replace Avery Arwood in the circle for the Cougars and went 6 2/3 innings before Emma Henderson recorded the final out with a strikeout for her first save of the season.

Down 4-0, SIUE responded in kind in the top of the second inning.

The Cougars used two Morehead State errors, an RBI single by Lauryn Yslava and a wild pitch by Morehead State pitcher Rylie Burney to tie the score 4-4.

While Morehead State regained the lead 5-4 in the bottom of the third, SIUE would take the lead for good in the top of the fifth.

Emma Henderson singled home Piper Montgomery with a base hit to center field. Henderson would later score on another wild pitch from Burney.

Clinging to a 6-5 lead, Danielle Shuey virtually put the game out of reach for the Cougars with a three-run homer to right center field in the top of the seventh. Shuey's first home run as a Cougar drove home Kaylin Fahy and Raegan Duncan.

SIUE was outhit 10-9 in the contest. Yslava and Kaylynn Salyars led the Cougars with two hits each. The Cougars also were active on the basepaths with four stolen bases.